One type of photographic processing assembly is known as a minilab. A typical minilab has three sections. The first section is a printer where negatives are exposed to photographic paper to record latent images on that paper. The exposed photographic paper is then fed into the second section, or processor. In the processor, the paper is treated with processing chemicals to develop the latent images so as to produce stable prints. The stable prints are then fed to the third section of the minilab, the dryer, where excess moisture is removed from the prints. As the exposed paper is being developed in the processor, the processing chemicals are consumed and have to be replenished.
One of the major advantages of a minilab of the type described above, is its simplicity of use. Essentially, provided that the machine is set up correctly and operating correctly, all an operator needs to do is feed photographic negatives into the printer and remove finished prints from the dryer. The operator does not need to handle anything other than the negatives and the finished prints. The processing of the negatives into prints can be highly automated allowing relatively unskilled operators to work the machine. This advantage, however, is in some respects a disadvantage. A minilab lacks flexibility, since it is dedicated to producing prints from photographic negatives and cannot be used to produce prints from other sources such as a photo-CD or an electronic camera.
The above-noted co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/628,215 addresses this drawback by providing for an adapter that allows an existing minilab to accept paper from other printing devices without having to make any modifications to the minilab. This adapter allows a roll or web of exposed photographic paper to be fed from a cassette or magazine directly onto the processor via an entry to the processor which is separate from an entry to the printer. This processor entry can be the test strip feed slot of the processor. The paper stored in the cassette of co-pending application Ser. No. 08/628,215 may have been exposed to images from various sources such has photo-CDs or an electronic camera using a device such as a Kodak CRT Color Digital Printer. Because the adapter of this application utilizes the processor entry point which can be a test strip feed slot, no adjustments have to be made to the printer of the minilab.
However, a drawback to the arrangement disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/628,215 is that since the test strip feed slot which enters directly into the processor is utilized, the printing path in the printer is bypassed. During normal operation of a minilab when a printer is utilized, an unexposed paper is fed into the printer and the printer includes sensors which obtain information on the paper, such as paper size and/or width, to make sure that the paper is fed correctly. The printer further provides instructions to the processor which is downstream of the printer to control replenishment based on the obtained information on the paper. These are safeguards which provide for correct replenishment. By bypassing the printer and feeding the paper directly into the processor as taught by co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/628,215, the safeguards set forth in the printer are bypassed. Therefore, there is no way to make sure that paper is properly fed and there no way to assure proper replenishment.
Furthermore, the arrangement of co-pending application Ser. No. 08/628,215 requires a leader card since the paper needs to be fed a certain amount before it is grabbed and routed through the processor.